Pakistan tourist attractions

by Hoàng Anh A ceremony to open the gates to the ancient city of Kashgar is held daily to welcome visitors. VNS Photos Hoàng Anh China’s western frontier has always been a bit of a mystery. The vast region, home to large mountains and deserts, is perhaps best known to the world through Chinese classical literature. Journey to the West by Chinese novelist Wu Cheng'en portrays a vibrant place where different cultures and people live together in harmony. The land, which bridges Asia, Europe and the Middle East, is truly China’s western gateway. Sharing a land border with eight countries – Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan and Tajikistan – Xinjiang has always been an important cultural and trading centre on the ancient Silk Road. As a passionate reader of Wu’s novel, I have always been fascinated by the land, the people and the colourful costumes. Yet it took a trip to … [Read more...] about Xinjiang, a beautiful journey to the West

Taj Mahal, a UNESCO heritage site and one of the world’s seven wonders, is a popular tourist attraction in India. Photo by Shutterstock/Jimmy Tran Bomb threats have prompted Vietnamese tourism officials to warn citizens against traveling to India. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has warned travel agencies and tour operators to reconsider organizing tours to India after a Pakistan-based terrorist organization called ‘Jaish-e-Mohammed’ threatened to attack the country with bombs at railway stations in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh from now until May 13. Indian forces have stepped up patrols and other security checks at these places to ensure safety of local residents and foreign tourists. However, Vietnam’s tourism officials advised citizens to cancel planned tours to India due to safety reasons. They also urged Vietnamese nationals who are in India now to avoid crowded places and closely follow updates … [Read more...] about Avoid travel to India, Vietnam advises citizens

The country stood in 92nd place in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), an annual report compiled by international business school INSEAD with The Adecco Group and Tata Communications. The ranking measured 125 economies across the world in terms of their ability to attract, develop and incubate a talented workforce. Vietnam, classified in the lower-income group, scored 33.41 out of 100, only above its neighbor Cambodia, and poor and/or conflict-torn nations like Egypt, Pakistan and Yemen. The nation has been better at enabling talents than attracting or retaining them, said the report, which was released Monday. Political stability, good government-business relations, ease of doing business, ease of hiring personnel and the use of virtual social networks are factors that have contributed to boosting Vietnam’s talent competitiveness. However, the country of 95 million people, is also challenged by a variety of limits in terms of technology infrastructure, … [Read more...] about Vietnam not too good at attracting, retaining talent

Thanh Thanh Cong Investment acquires 35 million SBT shares, lifting ownership to 32 per cent Thanh Thanh Cong Investment JSC has purchased 35 million shares in Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC (SBT), lifting its ownership in the sugar manufacturer to 158.5 million shares, an equivalent of 32 per cent of SBT’s capital. The number fell short of its total registered purchase of 45 million shares. Shares in SBT were trading at around VND20,000-22,000 (US$0.90) on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange during the purchasing time from November 16 to December 14, putting the deal value at more than VND750 billion ($32 million). Earlier in November, chairwoman of Thanh Thanh Cong Investment JSC Dang Huynh Uc My completed the purchase of 20 million shares of SBT, raising her stake to 10.6 per cent. The two shareholders have a combined stake of 42.6 per cent of the outstanding shares of SBT. In October, the company approved a plan to allow My and her affiliates to increase … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS 20/12

PM to chair meeting on wood exports Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will chair a meeting on wood processing industry and forestry exports in HCM City on August 8, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Viet Nam Administration of Forestry has announced.The forthcoming event will attract the participation of more than 500 enterprises operating in wood and representatives from foreign and domestic agencies. They will discuss measures for the fast and sustainable development of timber industry in the time to come.Statistics from the administration revealed that the country earned US$5 billion from forestry exports in the first seven months of this year, up 14 per cent year-on-year.The exports fulfilled nearly 56 per cent of the yearly target and made up 22.6 per cent of the total turnover of the agriculture sector.The US, China, Japan and South Korea were the largest forestry importers of Vietnamese timber goods. Other markets with strong growth … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS 7/8

Nawaplastic still hungry for Binh Minh Plastic shares Owning a dominant stake in Binh Minh Plastic (BMP) did not quench Nawaplastic Industry Co., Ltd. (Nawaplastic)’s thirst for BMP shares. Most recently, Nawaplastic registered to buy an additional 1.17 million BMP shares to increase its holding to 44.525 million shares, equalling 54.39 per cent of the charter capital. The transaction is expected to occur between June18 and July16. The registered share volume is the remaining part of the 2.86 million shares that Nawaplastic failed to buy during previous transactions. Notably, Nawaplastic registered to buy 2.86 million BMP shares during transactions on May 14-June 12, however, the Thai investor ended up buying 1.69 million of the registered shares as BMP did not match Nawaplastic’s target price. BMP manufactures and trades civil and industrial products made of plastic and rubber. The company also designs, manufactures, and trades in plastic moulds for the casting industry; … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 19/6

Da Nang sets economic goals towards 2030 The central city of Da Nang aims to have the GRDP growth of 9 – 11 percent and GRDP per capita ranging between 7,000 USD and 9,000 USD for 2018 – 2030. The goals were mentioned at a workshop held by the municipal People’s Committee on June 11 to discuss the city’s development by 2030 with a vision towards 2045. The workshop gathered urban planners, economists and policy makers both at home and abroad. These experts shared hands-on experience from a number of local and foreign cities to give leaders of Da Nang a broader view of the city’s advantages, competitiveness, capacity to expand urban spaces in tandem with development of public transport, and how to build policies and raise capital for infrastructure development and develop the city sustainably. To meet the achievements, Da Nang plans to achieve strong economic growth with breakthroughs by promoting Industry 4.0 and international integration; develop a … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 13/6

VN garment sector to boost export growth The domestic textile and garment industry is expected to sustain growth in exports in the coming months, according to the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). Truong Van Cam, VITAS vice chairman and general secretary, said many textile and garment companies had signed contracts to produce export products in the third quarter of this year. Many Vietnamese garment firms had also sustained high growth this year in traditional markets such as the United States, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, and member-states of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Cam said a series of recently-signed free trade agreements (FTAs) was expected to boost the sector. Since 2001, Viet Nam had signed bilateral trade agreements with the US, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and India, and joined the World Trade Organisation. However, global demand for textiles … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 6/6

Fire destroys thousand sq. meter wood factory in Dong NaiA huge fire suddenly occurred at a wood factory of Shing Mark Company in Bai Xep Industrial Park, Trang Bom district, Dong Nai at midnight on January 15. Because materials inside the wood factory are easily ignited, the flame quickly spread out causing the firefighters to meet difficulties in order to access the site and localize the fire. By 5am today, the blaze was extinguished.The initial information showed that there was no death in the fire; however, the flame destroyed thousand sq. meter factory and burnt wood materials inside the factory. At present, the functional agencies have investigated the cause of the fire. HCM City ensures traffic safety for TetThe Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee has deployed various measures to ensure traffic safety and order in the city before and during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, deputy chief of the committee, said, “The campaign aims to … [Read more...] about Social News 16/1

Under the system, countries are divided into 4 groups of alert in ascending order from 1 to 4: exercise normal precautions, exercise increased caution, reconsider travel, and do not travel.Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries, excluding Indonesia and the Philippines, were listed in group Level One. Major travel risks in Vietnam are stealing, pickpocketing, and traffic accidents.In which, North Korea is also Level Four, with the additional restriction that US law prohibits American travelers from using their passports there, effectively banning visits.On the other hand, countries ranked at Level Two include China, India, Indonesia, Phillippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, UK, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.Countries ranked at Level Three include Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Lebanon, Sudan, Nigeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia and Venezuela. Ten war zones and failed states are ranked Level Four, “Do Not Travel”: Afghanistan, Central … [Read more...] about Vietnam ranks among countries with lowest travel security risks